I’m a Bit Disappointed in Arkham Origins’ Villain Choices

Yeah, I’m back and nitpicking Batman: Arkham Origins again (remember the last time?), but this time it has to do with villain choice. Not too long ago, the announcement was made that Jervis Tetch AKA The Mad Hatter would be joining in on all the Gotham City shenanigans taking place on Christmas Eve. Supposedly, his role will fit what Scarecrow’s was in Arkham Asylum, which was providing trippy battle sequences (I wonder if Hatter will have a more creepy ‘oomph’ to his). With a new villain unveiled for the October title, I figured now would be a good time to get something off my chest. So far, I’ve been a bit disappointing with the villains chosen for inclusion in Arkham Origins.

One of the main reasons why I’m just a tad disappointed is because so far, the majority of people who have been revealed are villains recycled from past games. Of course, I don’t have a problem with Deathstroke, Copperhead (she’s my favorite reveal so far), and Black Mask (and, yes, I know he was in Arkham City, but he was only in the very beginning if you pay close attention). I have a problem with some of the others–namely Joker and Penguin. While I’d kind of prefer that Bane and Deadshot weren’t in, their presence can be forgiven because they fit right in with the whole idea of Black Mask hiring assassins to take out Batman. Deadshot’s the best sharpshooter around, and Bane is also an assassin-type figure. I don’t know how Mad Hatter fits into the game, whether or not he’s a main villain hired by Black Mask or a random sidequest character, but if he is one of Black Mask’s hired guns, it really doesn’t suit him. The same could go for Penguin, as I don’t see him fitting the role of an assassin at all.

As for the Joker, I was actually kind of hoping he wouldn’t be in this one. Don’t get me wrong; the Joker is one of my favorite villains in all of comic books. However, he was the focal point of the last two Arkham games. Surely with such a large rogues gallery, there could have been someone new to bring in instead of him. Plus, much like my qualms with Penguin and Hatter, Joker doesn’t suit the whole hired assassin motif going on in this game. I’d imagine that he’d be more into what he’s doing just to aggravate Batman and not necessarily kill him.

There are a few villain picks that I would’ve preferred in this game: Lady Shiva, Firefly, and Onomatopoeia. The former and latter are already master assassins, so they would be totally in their element within Black Mask’s scheme. Lady Shiva could also help bring the League of Assassins into the mix, seeing as she worked with them originally. Onomatopoeia, despite being a Green Arrow villain (and I don’t think it matters too much since Deathstroke was thrown in), might have made for an interesting encounter, what with his ability to mimic sounds around him. Even though he isn’t an assassin per say, I think Firefly with his arsonist tendencies would fit in as a hired gun.

Overall, I just feel like this game would have been a nice opportunity to introduce some of Batman’s lesser-known villains, especially since the game is taking place at the start of his vigilante career. My nitpicks aside, who would you like to see as a villain in Arkham Origins? Do you think the roster is on track? Would you replace any of the current villains?